Illuminated license plate holder



Aug. 26, 1952 J. c. MARSALA 2,608,013

ILLUMINATED LICENSE PLATE HOLDER Filed July 9. 1948 2 SHEETS-SWEET 1 j INVENTOR. A @fosejC/sw ATTIII R N EYB Aug. 26, 1952 J. c. MARSALA ILLUMINATED LICENSE PLATE HOLDER 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed July 9, 1948 3 a V om 5 w a, a, ,0 M fi ,a 4m .Ifll/.y n0 96. ffm a W Maw/MW@ 7.. 4 y a, 7 3 3 2%;

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ATTD RN EYE Patented Aug. 26, 1952 i Ulvlf'rsliy STATES PATENT I annemasse PLATE 'HOLDER Joseph G. Marsala, Watertown, N. Y. plieafton July 9, 1948 SerialNm 37,854

l This invention relates. to illuminated :motor vehicle :license .plates 'and holders therefor which are adapted to 'Jmount 'the v.plates vvon the front or rearlef ethe vehicle, :and ,in particular a :shallow boxflike iframe having supporting means-at 'the back and flights l.therein and :provided :with a sand blasted front ixplate with :a perforated `license jplate against the sand dblasted folate.. The purpose of :this iinvrllonis to 4.pian/ide an illuminated license Aplate wherein a sof-t -liilu-sed light shows through -peri'orati'ens in ,the ,numbers or lettering on the plate.

Various devices :have been provided for illuminating license tags or plates of motor vehicles to facilitate reading 'theinumerals :or letters thereon-in the dark, but these have not been satisfactory and are not universally Lused. With this thought in mind this invention contemplates an improved lholder for perforated. `-license plates and fthe like wherein the .light rays are diiiused by a glass platehaving a Asand-blasted inner @surface. The .sand-blasting .forms little mounds on vthe surface of the .glass .and as 'the light rays strike the flittle mounds .they 4bounce or .arereflected 'from one to the other providing a .more even distribution and .more .intense or stronger light rayspass through theglass.

IIhe object of this inventioni-s, therefore, to provide an improved illuminated license plate mounting :in-which. .the letters .and numerals on the plate are readily discernible after dark.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved illuminated license plate mounting that may readily be attached to substantially any motor vehicle.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting for illuminated license plates and the like which is of a simple and economical construction.

With these and other objects and advantages in view the invention consists of the new and useful combination, construction, and arrangement of parts as hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the claim appended hereto, and disclosed in the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein: Y

Figure 1 is a View showing a front elevation of a license plate and a holder therefor with part of the glass plate shown through a broken away portion of the license plate illustrating the sandblasting thereof.

Figure 2 is a cross section through the holder and plate taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through the holder and plate taken on line 3-3 on Figure 1.

. 1 Gitti-m. (Cl. '101331) 2 Figure '4 is ya .section through the upper rismL-o-i the holder taken on line 4 4 of Figure 1, and nn an lenlarged scale.

Figure '5 is a similar lsection showings. modiiication Vwherein 'the license plate .is fformed-wiirh extending flanges .at the edges. Figure 6 is a detail showing a section of the sand-blasted glass plate with parts broken away.

Figure 7 is a plan view :of yafholder of amodiiied design 'wherein part of lthe casing iis :broken away. i Figure -8 .is Ia cross .section through the kLeasing shown lin Figure "7, taken .on line -ffthereo. Referring 'now to the drawings wherein like gre.- ference characters denote 'corresponding parts. the improved illuminated vlicense plate holder of this invention includes a :shallow box-.like :casing I0 having Varcuate lends, a glass plate Il .havin-gra sand-blasted .inner fsurface, and a .licenseplate ,i12 having perioratednumerals I431:and;letters1.l 4... i ,'f In the design shown in Figures 1 toe the casi-. ing `Ill is provided with moiniting :screws .11.5 .and l5 secured in .lugs I1 'and t8, respectively, vand provided with nuts I'9,;as shownsin-.Fignre 2. The side walls of the casing are provided cone tinuous flange 20, as shown vin :Figures 14 .and 6, and an angle .2l is lprovided around the. inner surface .to provide 'a stoplior 'they glass plateil A gasket 22 is provided *betweenv theplate `l1 .and angle 21| `and the license plate vI2* --is held against the plate Il by a continuous frame 23 that vris secured against the flange 20 by tubular U- shaped brackets 24 and 25. The inner edges of the brackets are formed with slots 26 and the outer edge is provided with a flange 21 that is positioned in a groove 28 in the frame 23. The bracket 24 is provided with enlarged ends in which the ends of the bracket 25 are held by screws, as shown. y The casing IU is provided with sockets 29 for light bulbs 3i) and the bulbs are connected by :wires 3| to a suitable source of electric current..l

larvto the groove 28 for receiving the flange 21 of the tubular bracket. The glass plate Il is clamped against the angle 2l with the gasket 22 therebetween, as shown.

In the design shown in Figures 7 and 8, a plate 36 with a sand-blasted inner surface 3l is made integral with a casing 38 having flanges 39 at the edges and the light filaments 40 are provided on wires 4I and d3 extending through a boss d3 into the evacuated filament housing space within this integral structure. In this design a license plate '44 with extending flanges d5 having grooves 46 therein, .his positioned against theoutrer surface of the plate 36 and secured inplace by channel-shaped brackets il and 48 and with the ends of the bracket 41 formed with enlarged sections 49 in which the ends of the bracket 49 are held by screws 50'. The outer flanges of the brackets may be provided with continuous lips 52 that are positioned in the grooves de.

Washers 55 and 56, respectivelyV and the screws are mounted in bosses 5l and 58, respectively.

As shown in Figure 1 the numerals of the license plate are ,providedV withrperforations 60 through which the rays of light `diffused by the sand-blasted inner surface of the |plate Ilpass, and with the parts arranged in this manner the numerals :and lettering on the plate are readily discernible from a vconsiderable distance in` the dark. L 1

VIt will be understood that the illuminated license plate container or holder of this invention may also be fused for street names on corner posts, and furthermore, it is adapted to be incorporated in or to form an integral part of the structural body of a motor vehiclewiththe proper opening or linsert in the structure of the body. The lbody itself provides a container to house the license plate, with the proper mechanical Iparts adapted to the body. The shape and mechanical parts may lbe especially adapted to Vthecontour and shape of eachdesigned body.

Eachv-body'mayvbecome an illuminated locked license plate container. i Y

It will 4be'under'stoodthat other modifications may be made in the design and arrangement of the parts without. departing from the spirit of the inventionV 1 y What is claimed is: i

An illuminated holder for mounting a motor vehicle registration plate having selective light transmitting areas and of uniform size and marginally deformed to'provide an indented periph- The casing 38 is provided with mounting screws 53 and54 having registration plate to be` mounted',thereon, and

said' flange "having a marginal groove inits front face complementary to said marginal bead for positioning said registration plate thereon, and having a/crossgsection at said marginal groove thinner than that of a portion of said flange outwardly spaced therefrom, said integral molded j ,glass Vstructure lproviding [between said integral frontand back walls an evacuated chamber, an

incandescent filament mounted in the evacuated chamber in said integral structure and having terminals projecting. through said integral back wall,A and said holder .further comprising channel shaped retaining kmeans associated with .said marginal flange for .securing the registration plate to theflat translucentitvall of said integral structure to :be illuminated thereby, saidchannel means havingran inturned .front lmarginal edge for snapping into the marginal deformation or groove of the registration rvplate for securing said channel means to said plate andv nange against all but forcible removal.

. JOSEPH C. MARSALA.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record'in the file of this patent: y

Y' i UNITED STATES PATENTS V Number l n 'Y n Y. y Date Name 1,422,480 Rutherford ,July'll, 1922 1,606,323 Shankman Nov".` 9, 1926 1,614,955 Haupt Jan. 18,1927 1,665,276. Y Pfeiferv Apr. l0, 1928 1,667,126 Martin Apr. 24, 1928 '1,672,565 i '.Giordanog-; June..'5, 1928 1,789,441 Clark iDec. 1-0, l1929 1,821,420 Caccamov Sept.V 1, 1931 1,977,261 Brown Oct,Y 16, 1934 $2,045,863. MarsalaV June 30, 1936 

